Here's a place I didn't expect to visit: the emergency room. Yet earlier this week, I had to take Landon to the ER because he had a cut on his forehead. Luckily, he didn't need stitches; he had an adhesive bandage put on it to help it heal. I learned that "notfall" means emergency. (Who's on first at the ER: "no really, he did fall.") I was very happy that I could point to his injury, because I was struggling without knowing German. Even just filling out the patient forms required some translation. I haven't been in a situation like this before where I don't understand what people are saying. For the most part, I get by with sign language, but I'm anxious to start language lessons.
We did get a chance to visit a tourist destination last weekend. We took the "fast train" to Lucerne (Luzern in German). It was an hour away, and we went to the Swiss Transportation Museum. The boys were in heaven and enjoyed seeing planes, trains and automobiles (and boats and gondolas too!). The weather was foggy, but it was still a beautiful town. It's a popular place for tourists, and we saw plenty of tour buses. We're not really used to seeing as many tourists in Basel. Lucerne is rumored to be one of the top destinations in Europe with all its charm. The geranium-covered bridge in the center of town is very pretty and often pictured.
I want to also mention another type of sign that is around Switzerland. Yellow signs are often seen on hiking trails, but also on roads that indicate what landmarks/towns are in your direction, and how long (hours/minutes) it will take to get there walking. They seem to be everywhere and are "Wanderweg" (wandering ways). There are also red signs with a bike on them to indicate biking paths, although we haven't yet explored them. This particular sign points to the highest point in the Basel canton or area. We hiked there on a beautiful day and could see the snow-covered Alps in the distance.
Matt put a knife through his finger when we were trying to carve pumpkins to celebrate our own version of Halloween in Munich. The hospital waiting room was just chairs. No magazines, no tv, no paintings on the wall, nothing. I had to sit and stare at the walls for hours while they stitched up his hand. We had to be billed for the visit which we could submit to our insurance for reimbursement. We braced ourselves for this megabill because we weren't on the state health insurance. 10 stitches, emergency room visit, followup = $200. So glad Landon's ok. Stitches aren't a fun birthday gift!
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